Moving rmk front arm in assault hole

[mountainhorse]

Moving to the upper hole... Are there two holes there, all the way through... or do you need to drill the tunnel for the second hole... I know the outer plate has the hole... what about the inner steel back up plate?






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[MDEVO]

yup you are correct the assault with the arm mounted in top hole is to trench less and get on snow better...... but the assault has more rounded rail tips for the lower position. The rmk they are flatter so it may stab the track or act differently than the assault in the lower hole.

Ahh, good info....
I am snowchecking a STD RMK in April, and was wondering if the lower hole was an option for the lower snow and/or boondocking (F'N around) conditions!

Moving to the upper hole... Are there two holes there, all the way through... or do you need to drill the tunnel for the second hole... I know the outer plate has the hole... what about the inner steel back up plate?

Yes... my 13 SBA has the upper hole drilled thru both.
I'm not sure on the RMK assault....?

 

[GoBigParts]

Sorry to hack into this thread but I was told that switching the SBA front arm to the upper position was for deeper snow, not trail? This to allow less approach angle for the the rails so it climbs up on to the snow....also that this position is better for climbing and side hilling? Would that not mean putting the RMK in the lower hole should lighten the front end up and let it wheelie?

Yes, but some trail riders want a more planted feel on the front end so they can rail around the corners like an indy car. Some boondockers want a lighter feeling front end so they can wheelie over stuff. You are correct in the upper hole you get up on the deep snow better but may loose some of the fun factor boondocking.

 

[GoBigParts]

I moved it to the assault location on my 12 Pro 600. Its defintely a different feeling, it seems to get more pop off of small kickers. more fun if you are into ditch banging. I havent messed with shock setting too much yet.

Ok, I just ordered my antistab kit. I am going to drill out the lower hole on my 2012 ProRMK and try it for boondocking and ditchbanging in the midwest. I ride with a lot of switchback assaults and they just seem to be able to pop the front end up better over the bumps and jumps here in the midwest. I will see how it goes.

For my trips out west I think It is best to have it in the top hole and when I know we are going to be rding stuipid storm deep snow in the U.P. That is the cool thing It doesn't take long to switch back for deep conditions.

I will let you know how it goes.

 

[geo]

I ride in marginal snow and deep snow 'cause I like to ride. If you live in the mountains you don't have control of this.

Dropping the front skid mount makes the sled more lively because of weight transfer. leaving it in the stock position gives you the best attack angle and rail position of any sled ever built for deep snow.

It's for these reasons I installed a Timbersled rear arm kit. The kit gives you a longer limiter strap (basically a hole drop) and the FTS shock extends enough to use it. It also allows for sucking up the rear (which I have done too) for more transfer than just moving the front arm down.

Ive ridden a season now and no stab issues at all (stock RMK rails). Most of the time the snow you sink into is less than a foot and a half and this set-up works (very fun too) with basically an un- noticeable increase in trenching with it fully un-coupled.
When it's DEEP lol you reach down and turn the coupler up (sucks up the front arm once contact is made) until the ski's come down to what you like and voila you have your attack angle back.
When it's STEEP and DEEP you just crank it up to full and it pulls you and sled out of the snow at WFO 3 times quicker than stock and has gotten my out of a ravine more than once. Too easy.

Un coupled, for me, = more fun, light front end, and don`t fall in my hole lol. Coupled = planted, but putting the trackspeed into forward momentum, and wins poking competitions. Both have a place and need for me.
A side benefit is a much cleaner skid with no coil over and linkage to collect snow. We all know how much a Pro holds there lol.

Anyhow another option if you like how the sled feels in the lower hole on the front.

 

[GoBigParts]

I ride in marginal snow and deep snow 'cause I like to ride. If you live in the mountains you don't have control of this.

Dropping the front skid mount makes the sled more lively because of weight transfer. leaving it in the stock position gives you the best attack angle and rail position of any sled ever built for deep snow.

It's for these reasons I installed a Timbersled rear arm kit. The kit gives you a longer limiter strap (basically a hole drop) and the FTS shock extends enough to use it. It also allows for sucking up the rear (which I have done too) for more transfer than just moving the front arm down.

Ive ridden a season now and no stab issues at all (stock RMK rails). Most of the time the snow you sink into is less than a foot and a half and this set-up works (very fun too) with basically an un- noticeable increase in trenching with it fully un-coupled.
When it's DEEP lol you reach down and turn the coupler up (sucks up the front arm once contact is made) until the ski's come down to what you like and voila you have your attack angle back.
When it's STEEP and DEEP you just crank it up to full and it pulls you and sled out of the snow at WFO 3 times quicker than stock and has gotten my out of a ravine more than once. Too easy.

Un coupled, for me, = more fun, light front end, and don`t fall in my hole lol. Coupled = planted, but putting the trackspeed into forward momentum, and wins poking competitions. Both have a place and need for me.
A side benefit is a much cleaner skid with no coil over and linkage to collect snow. We all know how much a Pro holds there lol.

Anyhow another option if you like how the sled feels in the lower hole on the front.

Sounds awesome. I like everything else about the rear suspension just looking to increase the fun factor on Midwest snow. I think I can try the two positions with my antistab kit for much less and get a feel for what I like. The antistab kit may not be needed but I thought I would install one just in case instead of finding out the hard way that it is needed.

 

[geo]

No such thing as a universal sled but this set-up is darn close, specially with three EVO's to quickly change spring rates.

I live and ride in the mountains and give out the flatlander stuff too but believe it or not you have to be pretty lucky not to get 30% of your riding time on hard pack (or spring concrete with a freshy on top) here too.
Flat land set-up is just that much more fun in those conditions.

 

[knocksum]

Could mounting the rear suspension bolts up an inch give the same results as the "geo mod". Less sag, able to run a softer spring with good ski lift? Also losing the trenching effect of lowering the rmk skid to the bottom hole on the front shock.

I did this with our apex sleds and wow what a difference. Also did it on my rx1 with the cat float skid installed.

 

[GoBigParts]

Everyone talks about trenching and not getting up on the snow as well with the skid in the bottom hole. Does anyone know how much difference it really makes.

With that said I wonder how a Ski-doo XM gets up on top of the snow or if it just doesn't. Those things have so much weight transfer they are wheelie kings. Makes you wonder how they are in deep deep snow. I have only ridden them in semi deep snow. Everyone I know with one just rides around with their skis pointing to the sky.

 

[Reg2view]

XM trenches more than a stock RMK, part of it is weight transfer, part of it is track - 2.6 pow-max on the XM is harder, more of an all around track than the 5.1, doesn't shine anywhere, but doesn't fall down anywhere, too. RMK stock is more of deep pow setup, less ski lift, softer, shorter track, designed to do just that stock. The RMK Assault with the hard track is more of a trencher stock, more than the XM, but the XM has a lower attack angle, giving it pow advantage. Proclimb trenches even more than the XM, skid and track again. JPME.

FWIW, my opinion is the RMK Assault is a better all around fun sled than the Pro for guys riding in the MW most of the year, and a week out west. Either track on it, can be setup a couple different ways. This year, the RMK with clickers makes it a tougher choice for them. Poo is gonna sell a lot of non-Pro RMKs with clickers this year.

 

[GoBigParts]

XM trenches more than a stock RMK, part of it is weight transfer, part of it is track - 2.6 pow-max on the XM is harder, more of an all around track than the 5.1, doesn't shine anywhere, but doesn't fall down anywhere, too. RMK stock is more of deep pow setup, less ski lift, softer, shorter track, designed to do just that stock. The RMK Assault with the hard track is more of a trencher stock, more than the XM, but the XM has a lower attack angle, giving it pow advantage. Proclimb trenches even more than the XM, skid and track again. JPME.

FWIW, my opinion is the RMK Assault is a better all around fun sled than the Pro for guys riding in the MW most of the year, and a week out west. Either track on it, can be setup a couple different ways. This year, the RMK with clickers makes it a tougher choice for them. Poo is gonna sell a lot of non-Pro RMKs with clickers this year.

I agree on the standard RMK this year. The reason I did the PRORMK over the assault is the Ski stance. I like the narrower stance for carving and sidehilling. I can ride just fine on the trails with the narrow stance. Also, I wanted track that was more for powder for when we get huge U.P. powder and go out west. I think the doo track would be a good compromise for powder and harder conditions.

 

[geo]

The Pro did the geomod stock lol IMO. I always focused on less trenching with my Cat skids first THEN dialed in the lift I wanted with the rear for the fun or conditions. Just like the Poo lol.

IMO the '12 Cat was so close and a few small changes made it great. I had the handling dialed quickly on it but the rest of the stuff was just wrong Really wrong. They hurt my feelings that year big time lol.

The thing with this type of skid is it is falling rate. It works really good for what Mr Holz made it for, deep snow. The skid gives a wide sweet spot for transfer with a coil over shock and if it is installed with the right holes on the chassis in relation to the track shaft and center of gravity just a few turns on the RTS spring will change the transfer. Poo nailed it. No reason to change a thing for deep snow IMO. For marginal snow they have another hole.

But, like I said before, I ride everything and enjoy it all. It would be nice to have an Assault and a Pro but I don`t lol.. That`s why I tried the Timbersled rear arm kit. It gave me both sleds in one.
It`s a rising rate so tuning was simple. Dial in ride height, then bottoming, then turn the knob for transfer needed for the different seasons in the mountains. So far my stock RMK rails have been just fine with that.

 

[GoBigParts]

Yes. Already have my antistab kit.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[sledneck_03]

Yes. Already have my antistab kit.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

You tried this set up yet?? Very interested on what you find out. Would like to have some more fun around home.

 

[GoBigParts]

You tried this set up yet?? Very interested on what you find out. Would like to have some more fun around home.

Installing tomorrow and dropping to lower hole. Then out next weekend to ride it. Can't wait.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[SRXSRULE]

Not sure if I have ever had track stab. What does it do? Does it stop the machine, make noise, or breaks the plastic piece on the front of rails?

YES, it does all of that and more. The more part includes the rider flying over the bars.

Then you hope you can get the rail out of the track and hope you can still baby it back to the truck. Eric

 

[GoBigParts]

YES, it does all of that and more. The more part includes the rider flying over the bars.

Then you hope you can get the rail out of the track and hope you can still baby it back to the truck. Eric

You sound like you have done this? Ouch.

 

[mountainhorse]

From an earlier post as I've been getting a lot of messages about this.

EDIT:
When I am referring to "RMK's"...
I am referring to ALL PRO-RMK models and All Standard-RMK. Models.

When I refer to "Assaults"...
I am referring to Assault-RMK's. (NOT SB-Assaults, They have a completely different suspension)



There is a reason that the Polaris Factory has different Rails on the Assaults compared to the RMK's... even though the Assault suspension is the same except for the shocks/rails. If you sit an Assault skid on the ground next to an RMK skid.... the arms and mounting points are in the same location.

The rails tips on the Assaults are more turned-up than on the RMK's.

The "turned up" rail tips accommodate the lower suspension position of the Assault.

The Assault front end also sits higher, due to the Assault's different/longer A-arm and shocks compared to the RMK's.

These two relationships work in tandem.

Too much friction on the rail tips when you run the RMK rails in the lower, Assault, position.

When running the RMK Rails in the lower Assault holes (that you need to drill in the tunnel), The rail tips will actually "click" past the clips on the driver windows as they pass. This will induce some vibration.

Anyone doing this... I would Highly recommend a anti-stab kit to minimize on the friction OR run the Assault rails.

Assault rails are the better option.

The addition of the anti stab wheels is a 'stop-gap' type of measure as there is still a lot more pressure on an RMK rail in the Assault-position than an Assault rail.

Anti Stab wheels will be taking a lot of abuse when the RMK Rails are run in the Assault position... so check the bearings/shafts/wheels in the anti-stab assembly a few times a season.

The shape is different, RMK VS Assault 2012... pay particular attention to the nose of section of the rail and the turn-up there.
With the lower mounting position of the Assault front arm... the rails are tipped up in the front more to accommodate that change... the approach angle on an assault is steeper than an RMK.

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[GoBigParts]

From an earlier post as I've been getting a lot of messages about this.
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MH, I completely understand the differences in the rail profile. As much as you keep posting this I am wondering if you have ever even tried it in the lower hole. If not, how do you know how it is going to react? I know there have been a few that chimed in and stated they did this on their RMK's with out anti-stab kit. Understand this is not recommended therefore for me to even try this I am installing the anti-stab kit made by whal from wps.

I will test and post the results. Not sure I will leave it there and fairly certain my next trip out west I will move back up to the upper hole. I feel for boondocking from 2-5 feet it will be more fun in the lower.

 

[sledneck_03]

MH, I completely understand the differences in the rail profile. As much as you keep posting this I am wondering if you have ever even tried it in the lower hole. If not, how do you know how it is going to react? I know there have been a few that chimed in and stated they did this on their RMK's with out anti-stab kit. Understand this is not recommended therefore for me to even try this I am installing the anti-stab kit made by whal from wps.



I will test and post the results. Not sure I will leave it there and fairly certain my next trip out west I will move back up to the upper hole. I feel for boondocking from 2-5 feet it will be more fun in the lower.

The cats stabbed their tracks before they put the bigger tips on in 2013. Most guys just put on an anti stab kit.

I would say it would be fine with an anti stab.